Summary
Dante and Virgil descend to the fourth circle of Hell, where they encounter Plutus, the demon of wealth, who tries to block their path but crumbles when Virgil commands him to be silent. Here they witness one of Hell's most striking punishments: two groups of souls eternally pushing enormous weights in opposite directions around a circle, crashing into each other while screaming 'Why do you hoard?' and 'Why do you waste?' These are the Greedy and the Wasteful—people who lived at opposite extremes of the same obsession with material wealth. Virgil explains that among them are many church officials, including popes and cardinals, whose greed corrupted their spiritual mission. When Dante asks if he can recognize any of them, Virgil tells him their obsession has made them unrecognizable—their fixation on money stripped away their individual humanity. This leads to a profound discussion about Fortune, which Virgil describes not as random chance but as a divine minister appointed by God to distribute worldly goods according to a plan humans cannot understand. People curse Fortune when they lose and praise her when they win, but she operates beyond human judgment, blessed and indifferent to mortal opinion. The journey continues as they cross into even darker territory, reaching the river Styx, where they see the Wrathful tearing each other apart in the muddy waters while the Sullen bubble beneath the surface, trapped in their own bitter resentment. This circle reveals how our relationship with material things—and our inability to accept what we cannot control—can consume us entirely.
Coming Up in Chapter 8
As Dante and Virgil approach a mysterious tower by the river Styx, they see signal lights flashing between the tower and something in the distance. A boat approaches through the dark waters, but what kind of ferryman would navigate these hellish shores?
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An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 1041 words)
“Ah me! O Satan! Satan!” loud exclaim’d Plutus, in accent hoarse of wild alarm: And the kind sage, whom no event surpris’d, To comfort me thus spake: “Let not thy fear Harm thee, for power in him, be sure, is none To hinder down this rock thy safe descent.” Then to that sworn lip turning, “ Peace!” he cried, “Curs’d wolf! thy fury inward on thyself Prey, and consume thee! Through the dark profound Not without cause he passes. So ’tis will’d On high, there where the great Archangel pour’d Heav’n’s vengeance on the first adulterer proud.” As sails full spread and bellying with the wind Drop suddenly collaps’d, if the mast split; So to the ground down dropp’d the cruel fiend. Thus we, descending to the fourth steep ledge, Gain’d on the dismal shore, that all the woe Hems in of all the universe. Ah me! Almighty Justice! in what store thou heap’st New pains, new troubles, as I here beheld! Wherefore doth fault of ours bring us to this? E’en as a billow, on Charybdis rising, Against encounter’d billow dashing breaks; Such is the dance this wretched race must lead, Whom more than elsewhere numerous here I found, From one side and the other, with loud voice, Both roll’d on weights by main forge of their breasts, Then smote together, and each one forthwith Roll’d them back voluble, turning again, Exclaiming these, “Why holdest thou so fast?” Those answering, “And why castest thou away?” So still repeating their despiteful song, They to the opposite point on either hand Travers’d the horrid circle: then arriv’d, Both turn’d them round, and through the middle space Conflicting met again. At sight whereof I, stung with grief, thus spake: “O say, my guide! What race is this? Were these, whose heads are shorn, On our left hand, all sep’rate to the church?” He straight replied: “In their first life these all In mind were so distorted, that they made, According to due measure, of their wealth, No use. This clearly from their words collect, Which they howl forth, at each extremity Arriving of the circle, where their crime Contrary’ in kind disparts them. To the church Were separate those, that with no hairy cowls Are crown’d, both Popes and Cardinals, o’er whom Av’rice dominion absolute maintains.” I then: “Mid such as these some needs must be, Whom I shall recognize, that with the blot Of these foul sins were stain’d.” He answering thus: “Vain thought conceiv’st thou. That ignoble life, Which made them vile before, now makes them dark, And to all knowledge indiscernible. Forever they shall meet in this rude shock: These from the tomb with clenched grasp shall rise, Those with close-shaven locks. That ill they gave, And ill they kept, hath of the beauteous world Depriv’d, and set them at this strife, which needs No labour’d phrase of mine to set if off. Now may’st thou see, my son! how brief, how vain, The goods committed into fortune’s hands, For which the human race keep such a coil! Not all the gold, that is beneath the moon, Or ever hath been, of these toil-worn souls Might purchase rest for one.” I thus rejoin’d: “My guide! of thee this also would I learn; This fortune, that thou speak’st of, what it is, Whose talons grasp the blessings of the world?” He thus: “O beings blind! what ignorance Besets you? Now my judgment hear and mark. He, whose transcendent wisdom passes all, The heavens creating, gave them ruling powers To guide them, so that each part shines to each, Their light in equal distribution pour’d. By similar appointment he ordain’d Over the world’s bright images to rule. Superintendence of a guiding hand And general minister, which at due time May change the empty vantages of life From race to race, from one to other’s blood, Beyond prevention of man’s wisest care: Wherefore one nation rises into sway, Another languishes, e’en as her will Decrees, from us conceal’d, as in the grass The serpent train. Against her nought avails Your utmost wisdom. She with foresight plans, Judges, and carries on her reign, as theirs The other powers divine. Her changes know Nore intermission: by necessity She is made swift, so frequent come who claim Succession in her favours. This is she, So execrated e’en by those, whose debt To her is rather praise; they wrongfully With blame requite her, and with evil word; But she is blessed, and for that recks not: Amidst the other primal beings glad Rolls on her sphere, and in her bliss exults. Now on our way pass we, to heavier woe Descending: for each star is falling now, That mounted at our entrance, and forbids Too long our tarrying.” We the circle cross’d To the next steep, arriving at a well, That boiling pours itself down to a foss Sluic’d from its source. Far murkier was the wave Than sablest grain: and we in company Of the’ inky waters, journeying by their side, Enter’d, though by a different track, beneath. Into a lake, the Stygian nam’d, expands The dismal stream, when it hath reach’d the foot Of the grey wither’d cliffs. Intent I stood To gaze, and in the marish sunk descried A miry tribe, all naked, and with looks Betok’ning rage. They with their hands alone Struck not, but with the head, the breast, the feet, Cutting each other piecemeal with their fangs. The good instructor spake; “Now seest thou, son! The souls of those, whom anger overcame. This too for certain know, that underneath The water dwells a multitude, whose sighs Into these bubbles make the surface heave, As thine eye tells thee wheresoe’er it turn. Fix’d in the slime they say: “Sad once were we In the sweet air made gladsome by the sun, Carrying a foul and lazy mist within: Now in these murky settlings are we sad.” Such dolorous strain they gurgle in their throats. But word distinct can utter none.” Our route Thus compass’d we, a segment widely stretch’d Between the dry embankment, and the core Of the loath’d pool, turning meanwhile our eyes Downward on those who gulp’d its muddy lees; Nor stopp’d, till to a tower’s low base we came.
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Extremes - How Obsession Makes Us Unrecognizable
Obsession with any single aspect of life creates tunnel vision that destroys our ability to recognize what truly matters, making us unrecognizable even to ourselves.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches that opposite extremes often stem from the same underlying obsession or fear.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when you judge someone's opposite behavior—then ask what fear or need you might both be addressing in different ways.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Plutus
The demon guarding the fourth circle of Hell, representing the corruption that comes from obsession with wealth. In classical mythology, Plutus was the god of riches, but Dante transforms him into a grotesque guardian who babbles incoherently.
Modern Usage:
We see this when people become so consumed by money that they lose their ability to communicate or connect meaningfully with others.
The Greedy and the Wasteful
Two groups of sinners punished together because they represent opposite extremes of the same sin - unhealthy obsession with material wealth. They eternally push massive weights while screaming at each other about hoarding versus spending.
Modern Usage:
Think of people who either hoard everything or spend compulsively - both are trapped by their relationship with money and possessions.
Fortune
Dante presents Fortune not as random luck, but as God's minister who distributes worldly goods according to divine plan. She's beyond human praise or blame, operating on a cosmic scale that mortals cannot understand.
Modern Usage:
This is the idea that some things in life are simply beyond our control, and raging against circumstances we can't change only makes us miserable.
Simony
The practice of buying or selling church offices and sacred things for money. Dante places many church officials in this circle because they corrupted their spiritual calling with greed.
Modern Usage:
We see this whenever people in positions of trust - politicians, leaders, professionals - compromise their duties for personal financial gain.
The Wrathful and Sullen
Two types of angry sinners punished in the river Styx. The Wrathful tear each other apart on the surface, while the Sullen bubble beneath, trapped in their own bitter resentment and self-pity.
Modern Usage:
The difference between people who explode in anger versus those who silently stew in resentment - both are consumed by their inability to let go of grievances.
Unrecognizable souls
Virgil tells Dante that the greedy and wasteful have become so deformed by their obsessions that they cannot be individually identified. Their humanity has been stripped away by their fixation.
Modern Usage:
When people become so defined by their obsessions - money, status, possessions - that they lose their individual personality and become indistinguishable from others with the same fixation.
Characters in This Chapter
Plutus
Guardian demon
Guards the fourth circle but crumbles immediately when Virgil commands him to be silent. His incoherent babbling shows how obsession with wealth destroys clear thinking and communication.
Modern Equivalent:
The person so obsessed with money they can't have a normal conversation
Virgil
Guide and mentor
Demonstrates his authority by dismissing Plutus with a word, then provides crucial wisdom about Fortune and the nature of divine justice. He helps Dante understand that some things are beyond human control.
Modern Equivalent:
The wise mentor who helps you see the bigger picture when you're overwhelmed
Dante
Protagonist and observer
Witnesses the punishment of the greedy and wasteful, asks thoughtful questions about recognition and justice, and learns important lessons about accepting what cannot be controlled.
Modern Equivalent:
The person trying to make sense of life's unfairness and learn from difficult experiences
The Greedy
Punished sinners
Eternally push weights while screaming about hoarding, representing those who accumulated wealth obsessively. Their punishment mirrors their earthly behavior of never having enough.
Modern Equivalent:
People who hoard money and possessions, never feeling secure no matter how much they have
The Wasteful
Punished sinners
Push weights in the opposite direction while screaming about spending, representing those who squandered resources carelessly. They're punished alongside the greedy because both were enslaved by material concerns.
Modern Equivalent:
Compulsive spenders who blow through money without thought for consequences
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Peace! Cursed wolf! thy fury inward on thyself prey, and consume thee!"
Context: Virgil commands Plutus to be silent and step aside
Shows that obsession with wealth ultimately destroys the person consumed by it. The 'wolf' image connects to Dante's earlier symbol of greed, and the idea of self-consumption reveals how these obsessions eat us from within.
In Today's Words:
Shut up! Your greed is destroying you from the inside out!
"Wherefore doth fault of ours bring us to this?"
Context: Dante questions why humans are subject to such suffering and divine justice
Captures the universal human struggle to understand why life contains suffering and whether we deserve our circumstances. This question drives much of the poem's exploration of justice and personal responsibility.
In Today's Words:
What did we do to deserve all this mess?
"Why holdest thou so fast? And why castest thou away?"
Context: The eternal screaming match between hoarders and spenders as they crash into each other
Reveals how people with opposite approaches to money are actually trapped in the same obsession. Their punishment forces them to confront each other eternally, showing how both extremes are forms of the same spiritual sickness.
In Today's Words:
Why are you so cheap? Why do you waste everything?
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
Church officials—society's spiritual leaders—are among the Greedy, showing how class privilege doesn't protect against moral corruption
Development
Developed from earlier circles where class distinctions mattered; here obsession erases all social identity
In Your Life:
You might notice how financial stress affects people differently based on their background, but ultimately consumes everyone equally
Identity
In This Chapter
The souls become unrecognizable because their obsession with wealth has stripped away their individual humanity
Development
Continues the theme of how sin transforms people, making them lose their essential selves
In Your Life:
You might recognize how single-minded focus on work, money, or status can make you feel like you're losing yourself
Control
In This Chapter
Virgil's explanation of Fortune as God's minister shows how trying to control what's uncontrollable leads to suffering
Development
Introduced here as a major theme about accepting what we cannot change
In Your Life:
You might struggle with accepting circumstances beyond your control, like job security or health outcomes
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
The presence of popes and cardinals shows how social roles and expectations can be corrupted by personal obsessions
Development
Builds on earlier themes about how social position doesn't guarantee moral behavior
In Your Life:
You might see how professional expectations can conflict with personal values in your own workplace
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Dante learns that recognizing patterns of obsession is crucial for avoiding spiritual destruction
Development
Continues Dante's education about human nature and self-awareness
In Your Life:
You might realize that personal growth requires honest examination of your own potentially destructive patterns
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
What punishment do the Greedy and Wasteful face, and how are they similar despite being opposites?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Virgil say the souls have become unrecognizable, and what does this reveal about obsession?
analysis • medium - 3
Where do you see the 'opposite extremes, same obsession' pattern in modern workplaces or relationships?
application • medium - 4
How would you help someone recognize when they're sliding into an extreme that's consuming their identity?
application • deep - 5
What does Virgil's explanation of Fortune teach us about accepting what we cannot control versus fighting for what we can?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Extremes
Think of an area where you tend toward extremes - work, money, relationships, health, or control. Draw a line with your extreme on one end and write what the opposite extreme would look like. Then identify what both extremes are really obsessed with underneath. Finally, mark where healthy middle ground might exist.
Consider:
- •Both extremes often stem from the same underlying fear or need
- •The 'opposite' extreme person might trigger you because you recognize the same obsession
- •Middle ground isn't perfect balance - it's conscious choice instead of compulsive behavior
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you caught yourself sliding into an extreme. What were you really trying to control or protect? How did stepping back help you see the bigger picture?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 8: The Ferryman's Rage and City Gates
What lies ahead teaches us to recognize when someone's anger reveals their own powerlessness, and shows us standing up to bullies sometimes requires backing down strategically. These patterns appear in literature and life alike.
